As the City Council of Bend, Ore., was considering creating an urban renewal area, the proposed Tax Incremental Financing was causing confusion among residents. To clarify that it didn’t mean new or higher taxes, and to show support for the project, the Central Oregon Association of REALTORS® launched a call for action.
Greater Greenville Association of REALTORS® Uses the REALTOR® Party’s Growth Polling Program to Assess Voter Attitudes Toward Infrastructure and Housing Development
To gauge voter sentiment on a range of growth-related issues, the Greater Greenville Association of REALTORS® tapped into the polling service the REALTOR® Party provides for just that purpose. The results – some expected, some surprising – are helping the association to help Greenville County as it shapes policy and sends important legislation to the polls.
North Platte Valley Association of REALTORS® Leverages Housing Opportunity Grant to Promote Financial Literacy Among Local 8th Graders
In partnership with like-minded organizations in rural eastern Wyoming, the North Platte Valley Board of REALTORS® conducted a "Reality Town" program to introduce important concepts of financial literacy to area 8th grade youth. Students from three schools in the region learned about the correlation between grades and earning potential, and real-world living expenses, from participating grown-ups in their community – including REALTORS®.
Data from Traverse REALTORS® Proves Invaluable to Downtown Development Planning for Affordable Housing
In Traverse City, Michigan’s desirable downtown neighborhoods, affordable housing is scarce, and the land base is already largely built. With a Smart Growth Action Grant, the Traverse Area Association of REALTORS® engaged a consulting firm to create a 3D economic model demonstrating the potential tax revenue from various development configurations to assist developers and the City Commission in making good decisions for the community.
Coastal Association of REALTORS® (MD) Uses Housing Opportunity Grant to Promote K-12 Financial Literacy
On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the Coastal Association of REALTORS® is working to equip the next generation with the critical thinking, collaboration, and financial planning skills that are essential for any community’s economic viability. With support from a Housing Opportunity Grant, it has established a three-year partnership with Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore, hosting a mock storefront in the JA Biztown and JA Finance Park programs for young students in nine area counties.
Land Use Initiative Helps Bakersfield Association of REALTORS® Defeat City’s Draft Climate Action Plan that Threatened to Worsen the Housing Crisis
The local REALTORS® saw that the draft Climate Action Plan developed by the City of Bakersfield would make real estate transactions more costly and would violate private property rights. With a coalition of concerned partners, they resisted its adoption. A Land Use Initiative review by Robinson & Cole provided the critical analysis they needed to convince the City Council to re-think the plan.
Santa Fe REALTORS® Help Bring New Life – and Housing – to “Tired” Commercial Area
Thanks to a Smart Growth Grant from NAR, the Santa Fe Association of REALTORS® (SFAR) is boosting the re-development of a dated and underutilized commercial corridor. Santa Fe REALTORS® could see potential in the mile-and-a-quarter stretch anchored by the Santa Fe University of Art and Design at one end and a hospital at the other end and decided to do something about bringing it to life. SFAR commissioned a Housing Advocacy Study that proposes a vibrant new design for the area -- including up to one thousand housing units. In February 2012, the Santa Fe City Council embraced the plan...
Marin Association’s Housing Turnover Index Proves Worthy of NAR Game Changer Grant
The lobbying strategy of the Marin Association of REALTORS® (MAR) reflects Benjamin Franklin’s advice that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Four years ago, MAR initiated a lobbying campaign to advocate fair and equitable alternatives to onerous point-of-sale retrofit mandates. The focus of the campaign was the launch of a computer program that graphically shows it takes as much as 70 years for local housing stock to switch ownership. This means there is an urgent need to implement speedier, more effective solutions to address sewer lateral and other environmental-related issues. The index is proving useful in...
Austin REALTORS® Host Summit to Address Housing Gap for Minorities
Inspired by a national report on challenges faced by African Americans in the housing market, the 9,500-member Austin Board of REALTORS® formulated a plan to do something about it in their own back yard. They began by securing a Diversity Grant from NAR to host a two-day conference to which they invited a variety of local minority organizations and stakeholders...
St Louis Association Responds to Ferguson Violence and Unrest with Innovative Fair Housing Campaign
As the nation was riveted by the violence that followed the Ferguson shooting last summer, relief for the riot-torn suburb of St Louis came from the local REALTOR organization. The 6,600-member St. Louis Association of REALTORS® first helped with deliveries of basic supplies to the citizens of Ferguson.